DOHA: A man who booked air tickets for others using stolen credit cards has been arrested.
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) coordinated with the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) and took into custody an Arab on charges of booking Qatar Airways tickets for several people, including Qatari nationals, using stolen credit cards belonging to some Qataris.
First Lieutenant Mudhawi Saeed Al Qahtani, officer at the Cybercrime Combating Centre of the CID, had received complaints from Qatar Airways which said that many customers — citizens and expats — were cheated as they were alleged to have bought tickets using credit cards owned by other people.
Al Qahtani said that some Arab nationals based outside Qatar were advertising on social media offering reductions in Qatar Airways fares.
People enquired with the advertisers and they were made to believe that they (the advertisers) owned travel agencies and were in a position to offer discounted fares. In fact, the advertisers were booking tickets using stolen credit cards. Several victims booked tickets for themselves and family members.
They transferred the required amount after confirming that the tickets were valid. Al Qahtani added that while carrying out travel procedures, airline staff would ask a customer to present the credit card used for buying the ticket, which would be cancelled if the card was not produced. If credit card is not produced, cash needs to be paid. The CID has urged citizens and residents not to buy tickets or items online from unknown or unverified sources. They should use the website of Qatar Airways or recognised travel agencies in the country, the CID was quoted as saying in a press statement issued by the Ministry of Interior.
The Peninsula
